The present invention relates to a laryngoscope, and more particularly to a laryngoscope which is used for enabling an operator to visually recognize a trachea inlet portion by lifting an epiglottis which is used in fields of anesthesia, emergency, an intensive care and the like.
In fields of anesthesia, emergency, an intensive care field and the like, it has been practiced in general that a tube is inserted into a trachea from an oral cavity thus ensuring the clearing of an airway which is a passage of oxygen necessary for respiration (airway control).
In carrying out the airway control, prior to the insertion of the tube, the treatment referred to as laryngeal exposure is carried out for enabling an operator to visually recognize a trachea inlet portion. That is, a lid portion referred to as an epiglottis is present in the trachea inlet portion and this epiglottis prevents food or drink from entering a trachea. In carrying out the airway control, when the epiglottis is not lifted, there may be a case where a field of view of the operator is obstructed so that the operator cannot visually recognize the trachea inlet portion. To cope with such a circumstance, laryngeal exposure is carried out so as to allow the operator to visually recognize the trachea inlet portion by lifting the epiglottis.
In the laryngeal exposure, instrument referred to as a laryngoscope having a blade which is insertable into a mouth of a patient is used. To be more specific, the laryngeal exposure is the treatment where a tongue portion is pushed sideward by the blade of the laryngoscope, and an epiglottis is lifted by pushing a proximal end portion of the epiglottis with a distal end portion of the blade.
Conventionally, the airway control is carried out by a doctor. When the epiglottis is not lifted so that the doctor cannot sufficiently visually recognize an airway inlet portion, he carries out the airway control by estimating a trachea inlet portion based on his technique and hunch.
To cope with such a situation, there has been proposed a McCoy laryngoscope as a laryngoscope with which an epiglottis can be easily lifted (see JP-A-2005-319245, for example). The McCoy laryngoscope has the structure by which a force can be easily applied to a root portion of the epiglottis, that is, the structure where a distal end of a blade of the laryngoscope is arranged by way of a hinge, and a lever for bending the distal end of the blade is arranged on a handle. In this McCoy laryngoscope, in response to the manipulation of the lever, the distal end of the blade is bent thus pushing a proximal end portion of the epiglottis so that the epiglottis can be lifted mechanically.